TITLE: THE BLIND DATE

WORD COUNT: 2179 AUTHOR: MS. POOJA SINGH,

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Shane disheartened with his spirits low, headed his way back towards his home.

He looked for the keys in the pocket hurriedly and quietly shuts the main door

without uttering a single word and goes straight into his bedroom.

“Shane, how was it? Why do you look so low? Was she not pretty enough for

you? Come on man, you can’t be that picky”. Austin asked, being muddled,

scratching his head, as he was the one who had set this date up.

“Austin, I just want to be left by myself, please don’t pester me right now.

I want to be alone with my thoughts for a while. Could you make me a drink?

A Rum may be? Montilla?”

Did I not ever imagine meeting her again? But today when she was right in

front of my eyes, why did I stutter?

He did not even in his wildest dreams expect that Rosaline would have changed

and grown into a mature young woman and could leave a drastic impact on him.

She looked so beautiful in her soft ivory halter neck dress. Her pearls which she

wore radiated her pure heart, reminding of how she used to wear her heart on

her sleeve. It wasn’t her honey dipped brown eyes which reflected her

generosity or her mellifluous voice which felt as if the angels had come down

on earth and playing the violin wearing those chaplets. It wasn’t her appearance

which made her turn heads, but to be honest, her silly crooked nervous smile

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made him fall in love with her all over again as if he hadn’t tasted what loving a

woman had ever felt like. His stoic personality often made her giggle like a

young teenager. There was just something, her aura so strong even cleansing the

air.

Rosaline was looking forward to this date as she was an enthusiast and a sucker

for crazy ideas to find her prince charming. At times, it seems that Rosaline

herself is the prince who is fighting battles against all these emotionally

unavailable men, swimming through the creeps, and finding the one who yet

struggles with commitment issues.

She removes her favourite crimson coloured slit dress to make the guy fall in

love with her at first instance, but again she is a bit old fashioned and not too

bold in her appearance. Cream or an ivory color dress would do justice to her

soft personality. White pumps to match and look more put together even though

her life is not too organised, but as they say fake it till you make it. Rosy tint on

her cheeks to make sure she looked interested in him and he thinks that he is an

interesting person who is making her blush, well only heaven would know the

little trick she played here. A classic mauve lip shade would be perfect, not too

loud nor too dull.

“Lucy, come here”, screamed Rosaline.

“Yes yes what’s the matter?” “Did you find out who Samirah is dating?”

“No you nut head, how do I look for the date? Good enough?”

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“Enough to destroy his life.” “I wish I were that lucky boy, even being a

lesbian would do, I mean I could turn gay for this beaut,” squeed Lucy.

Too cheesy Lucy, appalled Rosaline.

Rosaline was sitting at the backseat of a retro-looking cab, thinking about the

date Austin had set up. She had met Austin at the Durjoy Dutta’s book signing

event. He was the only guy, while all the other girls including her were

fangirling over his quirky dimples. Not that she took less interest in his novels,

but when there is a complimentary dessert, how could one resist? Durjoy Dutta

writes romance, and seeing him come for the book signing, without feeling

embarrassed, did impress her. Guys reading romance novels other than science

fiction or some thriller novels did set the bar high for her. From that moment

she knew, that if he would be a hopeless romantic, their talks would be like the

typical cliché new lovers who talk about laying in an empty dry grassland, star

gazing while he would call her the most beautiful lady that the moon would hide

itself as it might face inferiority complex. Rosaline had to burst her bubble

when she found out that Austin was gay. She laughed at her own self for letting

her mind wander in that direction. Their first meeting was smooth and in no

time, they enjoyed each other’s company and started hanging out a lot more. He

was a true friend to her, and would often talk about each other’s lifeless

romance journeys.

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I am being way too optimistic for today’s date. I should try and relax, but if

Austin has set this up for me then I’m pretty sure he would have kept in mind

about all the kinkiness I am filled with. I can trust him on his.

Rosaline was supposed to meet him at café named Poetry, which was in Juhu.

She specifically chose the café because of its name and the amazing macaroons

it sold. She had been obsessed with macaroons since the day she has been

learning French. Je peux manger dix maracons à la fois.

Another reason for her to choose this café was that because she herself is

poetry in itself. Well that’s how the men flirted with her. She reached the

location and was nearly fifteen minutes late, for as to say fashionably late.

Austin had informed Rosaline that the guy is tall, sturdy, and would have the

prettiest set of eyes in the room. For a second it did remind her of Shane, her ex

boyfriend thinking about how he had big round sparkling eyes where her own

reflection could be seen when she looked for way too long into his eyes and

drown into the pool of loveliness. She looked specifically for the glowing eyes

as Austin had described and the next moment she is blunt.

I used to see his face in the crowd, on advertisement posters, even on the

television but it was never him. Is my mind playing tricks on me again? I feel

like I am being haunted by my imagination and fear right now.

Rosaline is dumbstruck. Mixed feelings rushed into her body which can’t be

put to words to what she was feeling. She actually had to pinch herself to make

herself believe that Shane was her date.

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Shane had no serious plans of meeting Rosaline. He came on the date to cheer

him up but instead knowing the fact now that he was having a blind date with

his ex girlfriend left him astounded. All of these thoughts racing in his head

trying to surpass one another were overwhelming him. He still had a minute to

wash his face and to fetch his breath. He glanced at his watch and his heart

started to beat twice as fast. It was a chilly evening, yet he was feeling sweaty.

What am I supposed to talk to her? What am I going to say to her? Will I be

able to face her once again? What would she say?

“Shane, hey” said Rosaline trying to sound as warm as she could.

“Rose”? Said astonishingly

It’s Rosaline, not Rose, she corrected.

Yes, Rosaline, he stuttered. Please, please just take a seat, make yourself

comfortable. Shane requested.

You are talking as I am your first candidate and you are going to interview me,

but seemingly you look more nervous than the interviewee, joked Rosaline.

I have successfully managed to embarrass myself once again. You know, I tend

to get nervous around gorgeous women, he defended.

Should I take that as a compliment or should I be salty about it? I choose to

accept that you very smoothly flirted with me, actually I would say tried to flirt,

said Rosaline.

Well whatever you take it as, it is what it is, stated Shane.

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Rose didn’t feel the initial nervousness or the awkwardness which Shane was

facing that could be seen but as usual his old trait of hiding back or holding

back his real emotions, rather call it as toxic trait than it being a part of his

personality. Holding back what he really felt like, made Rosaline a bit edgy.

Rosaline wears her heart on her sleeve. She believes anyone who cannot be

vulnerable is not worthy enough for her to trust. Shane wondered if she still

thought the same or would she be a little easy on him.

So, how has life been? Shane trying to break the long pause, forgetting for a

minute that Rosaline was here.

“Well, it’s been amazing for me. I feel like I am growing as a person a lot more.

I always thought that I was wronged; hurt and as broken as a piece of glass

shattering and the more force you apply it breaks furthermore, that’s exactly

how it had been for me. You know Shane, there is always, always something

that one can learn, ways you can grow and I’m in that learning stage” being as

gentle as she could be.

“I am pretty sure you might not be expecting a response like that from me, or

should have I rather said, Shane, I can’t live without you, I won’t be able to, I

still need you,” as Rosaline plays around with Shane and his consciousness.

“Did you not want that too”? Shane responded with dismay.

“What? Startled Rosaline.

“Did you not say that all to me, did you not mean all of it then?” feeling a little

restless, Shane asked her.

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After a pause, Rosaline answers him saying, “I did think that, I did, but you

know when your body can survive the breakdown process then it as well can

heal itself. It’s similar to a physical wound, instead here it’s just your heart

begging for mercy and the brain wouldn’t stop over thinking it. It’s like when

you fall down and start bleeding, the platelets principal function is to stop

bleeding, but we anyways bleed a little. They release chemical signals to

promote clotting. Our brain tries to make the heart understand the same way,

but still it does bleed a lot of emotions. When you fall, it will hurt, it is supposed

to hurt. And when I learnt that, I knew I can, I definitely can live without your

presence. Even though you kept hurting me, gave a million reasons why I

should not stay, but I was looking for that only one reason for you to stay, but

sooner or later I had to accept the reality that I was a tenant in your heart, or

maybe lesser than that, I, I do not know if I actually did have your heart or not,

but it doesn’t matter to me any longer because I don’t feel drawn towards you

anymore or I do not seek any closure, I think I have had it enough”

Shane not knowing how to respond to her feels heavy. His body starts feeling

the burden, his energy levels dip down drastically. The intense discomfort

reaches to a peak that his heart is pounding; legs feel shaky and felt a shortness

of breathlessness. He has mastered the art of keeping a straight face even though

he certainly is near of experiencing a panic attack.

“Why couldn’t you stop me?” Shane trying his level best to mask it up and keep

a poker face by default.

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“Are you seriously asking me that?” Rosaline fumed. “I gave you everything,

every element, every atom present in my body. I devoted all of it to you. I was

on my knees for you. I let myself down for you, yet you left me by making such

a statement that I wasn’t worthy enough for love. You were just my fantasy,

was I only worthy of being so small? I did not deserve that”.

“Do you not love me anymore? How can you stop loving me?” Shane was

curious to know.

“Could you tell me where did you get the nerve to ask me that”? Rosaline trying

to appear poised. “I don’t. I don’t love you anymore, Shane Gosling”.

He couldn’t understand what was going on, Rosaline’s harshness and the sharp

words were causing him to blackout. Shane couldn’t anymore hold himself

back, he had to acknowledge and take his leave before his heart is left upon the

floor.

Keeping her hand on Shane’s cold fingers, with a warm sense of love, Rosaline

said, ‘We should take our leave. Please take care of yourself,’ and left with a

tender smile.

The date didn’t go as it was supposed to go, as they couldn’t meet each other’s

expectations. They decided to end the conversations; both of them would return

to their empty walls, thinking of what was and wondering what this could have

been, perhaps, being left to realize the beauty and mystery of their lives,

the realization towards closure that some people can stay in our heart forever

but not in our lives.

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